The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-07-01


who succeed the best Prosperity
largely depends on keeping down the
running expenses Of farm. The
farmer who has little 70 buy does not
have occasion 70 sell much IN order ID
supply himself with the comforts of
life Farmers who live in a portion
Of the country that Is sparseb settled
generally buy and sell TO great dis
advantage. Nearly all the products
o. their places. except live stock. CON-
inand low prices. and for some Of them
there is no market They have gem
orally poor facilities for keeping milk
and making butter. and as a consc-
quence the latter Is poor and sells for
less than half the price Of that made
In creameries or in large and we'll
managed private dairies. They get
but little for poultry and eggs on &C
count Of the expense Of sending them
70 city market. Generally they have
no way Of disposing Of potatoes, gar
den vegetables and small fruits il thcy
raise more than they need for their
own use- They must depend on tho
sale Of corn, small grain. wool and meat
for raising money with which to pur.
chase supplies.
A high price is charged for almost
every thing farmer living remote
from large towns has TO buy. and the
quality OF most Of the goods is poor.
Wholesale groccrs and the dealers in
various classes Of manufactured articles
keep grades Of goods for the city
trade, and others-which are greatly
inferior-for selling to country mer-
chants. Freights are high on all
heavy articles sent long distances into
the country. The credit system largely
prevails there. and the times Of pay
mcnt are uncertain and irregular.
The country merchant is often accused
Of charging extortionate prices. and
the difference between what he pays
for goods and what he sells them for is
certainly large. "but, taking one con-
sidcration with another. his lot is not
happy one"
No country In the world is better
supplied with fuel than this. We have
hard and soft coal. peat and wood. The
price Of soft coal in most parts Of the
West is low. Still, the amount the
average prairie farmer pays for this in
ferior fuel in the course Of a YEARS. large.
II this j. multiplied BY the years in a
lifetime il often represents sum Of
money equal to the value OF the
farm on which the coal has been con-
sumcd. There are few small farms on
which $50 worth Of soft coal is not
burned in the course Of a year. The
coal bill for ten years i s5OO'and for
fifty years $500. This money might
be saved. and many persons are pre-
pairing TO save II. Experiment has
demonstrated that ten acres Of land
devoted To the production Of trees will
keep small family supplied with
fuel BY the annual increase Of wood.
OF course the land is worth some
thing for the production Of grass and
cultivated crops. but the trees. IL
planted in strips on the north or west
side Of farms. will generally pay for
the land they occupy by affording pro-
lection from wind and snow. They
will also greatly add to the value Of the
place BY improving its appearance.
In producing the most and the best
fuel. trees that naturally grow tall and
have but few side branches should be
selected. and they should be planted
quite closely. BY planting them near
together they will grow 70 trunk and
not to branches. They will furnish the |
best Of cord-wood. and the trunks viii |
be easy to split. as they will contain |
but very few knots Large knots oc-
cur at the base Of large limbs or
and are necessary for sup
porting them. Open planting results
n producing trees with wide-spcading
branches. whose trunks are full u |
arge knots. and which can only lie
'plit with great difficulty. Close plant
ng produces tall trees with few spread-
ng branches. The knots in the trunks
will be small, as most Of the limbs will
lie and drop of before thy have at
aimed any considerable size. Ash.
maple and cottonwood tres can be
planted four feet apart c::ch way.
When large enough to furnish fuel half
4 them can be cut out and burned.
BY this process Of thinning room will
'c obtained for the remainder 70 grow
n Tall trees containing but few knots
re easily prepared for fuel. and they
re serviceable for breaking the force
{ the wind.
Young trees obtained from a nursery
Thcrc the seed was planted in rows
re much better Tor setting out than
hose found in forest and which can
e had for the trouble Of digging them
p and moving them. II is compara-
vely easy 70 dig up young trees in .
ursery. as the ground has been un-
er cultivation. They are likely to be
III and straight. and they will bear
smoval better than sapIings obtained
! forest The nursery tree has or
inarily been transplantcd at least once
efore II Is offered for sale. aud when
ia IL the <suSo n l,.a - s..~~x...t ..t.sI.